Aug.Sept.

Oct 2013

Volume 10 Issue 1

Table of Contents:
Meet Your Board! Welcome to the Family S16 Where in the world is Fresno State Nursing? p1

p5

p7

EXCLUSIVE SERIES:

CNSA Fresno State BOD and Mentors Welcome Brunch for the Spring 2016 Class
TOGETHER WE LEARN

The Undergraduate, Professional, and Graduate View of Nursing

p11

TOGETHER WE CARE

TOGETHER WE GROW
p17 p18

Defeat Stress TODAY! p14 A Peek Inside State Convention

Keep in Touch with CNSA Fresno!

Join us this issue for a look inside CNSA -Fresno State Chapter to see how we are representing the image of nursing throughout our community!

RN Formation is a publication of CNSA-CSUF Dept. of Nursing 2345 E. San Ramon Ave, M/S MH. Fresno, CA 93740 Phone: (559) 278-2041 Fax: (559) 278-6360

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CNSA Fresno State

Board of Directors 2013-2014

Hello, I am very excited to be this year's Fresno State President. It is my dream to apply myself to making this year an unforgettable and exciting experience both through knowledge and opportunity. Each of my officers and directors are friendly and hardworking individuals. With their help I have no doubt that we can make my dream come true for Fresno State Nursing. I plan on working hard to ensure that all of our students are getting the help they need and provide them with as many opportunities as possible to help them grow as individuals and nursing leaders. Make CNSA your family because Together We Learn, Together We Care, Together We Grow!

Zack Huddleston Chapter President

zhuddleston@mail.frensostate.edu
I am a 2nd career student, as well as a wife & mom with a parttime job. At first, being in the nursing program was pretty intimidating but once the realization set in that its important to have fun, the intimidation subsided. I feel that my position of leadership will allow me to have more exposure to other nursing students and encourage them to not only have fun but to make the best of this wonderfully adventurous program!

Sheri Cooley Vice President

coolsheri@mail.fresnostate.edu

Joy Recchio Treasurer

My name is Joy Recchio. I currently am in 3rd semester and am beginning my senior year at Fresno State. I have many goals that I wish to accomplish in my role as Treasurer. I want to create a budget for events and activities put on by CNSA and decrease the total cost spent as well as increase the profit by 10%. I also will make sure that at every meeting I will report on the current financial status of CNSA and state exactly where and when money was spent and why. I will plan a budget for money spent at state convention in San Jose, mid-year convention in Kentucky, and national convention in Tennessee and determine the total amount being reimbursed to attendees.

joyrecchio@mail.fresnostate.edu

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CNSA Fresno State

Board of Directors 2013-2014

I am Erin Kangas, a third semester nursing student. I am currently serving on the CNSA Board of Directors as secretary. As your secretary, I will keep all members informed of the topics discussed through our meeting minutes. I will send all of the meeting minutes out following our meetings. If you have any questions about CNSA or about the meeting minutes, please feel free to contact me!

ekangas@mail.fresnostate.edu
Hello all! I'm very excited to be a part of your CNSA Fresno State Board of Directors this year. I am an advocate for health and wellness and believe that as nursing students and nursing professionals we need to care for ourselves to be able to care for others. We are the future of health care and must be act as health advocates for ourselves and our patients to prevent disease and foster a higher quality of life. With your help and participation I plan to promote health and wellness in our nursing community here at Fresno State and the greater community of Fresno. This semester, please make time to care for yourself and make time to give back to others, I promise that you won't regret it. I look forward to working with the students in our nursing program and getting to know each of you.

Erin Kangas Secretary

nsmorales@mail.fresnostate.edu
Hello! My name is Jordan Burns and I am the new Fresno State CNSA Legislative Director. As clich as it sounds, I am genuinely excited to be as involved as I am now with our Fresno State CNSA chapter. Every meeting is an opportunity for me to get personal with fellow student nurses. Over the Summer I have been working on a "professional code of conduct" resolution that I will be presenting to the statewide body of delegates at "Convention" this October. I expect to be talking to an audience of over 100 other nursing students. I'm really excited about convention! I would challenge anyone reading this to attend a CNSA meeting for themselves to get a better idea of what this organization is about!

Noah Morales Community Health Director

jtburns33@mail.fresnostate.edu

Jordan Burns Legislative Director

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CNSA Fresno State

Board of Directors 2013-2014

My name is Jireh Somera. I am the current Website Director for our CNSA chapter. I will be entering my final year in the nursing program. Being a part of this wonderful organization has greatly contributed to my student nursing experience. Whether it is from emails, social media, or through our new website, my goal is to provide innovation in how information is distributed to the masses.

jirehsomera@mail.fresnostate.edu

Jireh Somera Website Director

Hey Nursing Family! My name is Jacquelyn and I am honored to be a part of such a great group of people in CNSA. I hope to take advantage of my position on the Board of Directors to develop my own leadership skills, and I hope that through my enthusiasm I can help encourage others to get involved themselves! It is my goal to make sure that everyone in our CNSA chapter as well as our nursing program is informed about what is going on in Fresno State Nursing through social media, email, newsletters, flyers, and so on! I also plan to design apparel for our program so that we are able to proudly represent our profession when we are wearing something other than our beloved blue smurf scrubs! We all know that comfort is key, so I look forward to any suggestions on how I can help keep you informed and looking sharp this year!

Jacquelyn Yerian Publications & Media Director

yerian@mail.fresnostate.edu
Hello, my name is Thomas Fuentez and I am the events director for CNSA Fresno State. My primary goal is to encourage participation in various volunteer events around our community. In addition to this, I am hoping to coordinate several events to give us a chance to take a break from nursing and go out to have some fun. If anyone has any recommendations for events feel free to email me!

tommyfu@mail.fresnostate.edu

Thomas Fuentez Events Director

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CNSA Fresno State

Board of Directors 2013-2014

Hello! My name is Tania Navarro and I currently hold the position of Director of Membership for the school year of 2013-2014. As the Director of Membership my duties consist of new member recruitment and to provide information in regards to membership and conventions (national and state conventions). At the conventions, I will organize students who enjoy the legislative aspect of nursing to get involved and to have a voice by being delegates and alternates. I will do my best to demonstrate to students that there is substantial gain of knowledge that comes with firsthand experience and that things such as leadership and communication skills are not learned best just by reading books. My advice for nursing students is simply this; enjoy life, love nursing, and get involved with CNSA.

Tania Navarro Membership Director

taniamn@mail.fresnostate.edu
As fundraising director for the 2013-2014 program year, my goal is to help as much as possible in contributing to our Fresno State CNSA chapter. This includes but is not limited to possible bake sales, retrieving donations from local businesses, and helping nursing students attend conventions. In addition, I hope to increase our RNBC prizes and opportunities provided to future incoming cohorts.

Heesackerhaley@mail.fresnostate.edu

Haley Heesacker Fundraising Director

Hello! My name is Vanesa E. Vidal and I am the CNSA Breakthrough to Nursing Director for Fresno State. As director I plan to teach, encourage and provide resources to those who are minorities, first generation students, single parents and men about the nursing profession. I want to focus on visiting schools, both K-12 and community colleges, that are located in neighborhoods with a low economic status and that have higher drop-out rates. I would like the support and input from minorities within our program to serve as examples to the communities we visit.

vvidal@mail.fresnostate.edu

Vanesa Vidal BTN Director

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Welcome to the Family

Class of Spring 2016 !

This August, CNSA as well as other mentors in our nursing family greeted the Class of Spring 2016 at our Welcome Brunch and RN Boot Camp. While here, our newest nurses-intraining enjoyed a 3-day adventure filled with ice breakers, advice on strategies for success, a skills rotation through our nursing resource center and tons of raffle prizes!

Mentors Invaluable to us!

Mentors keep us on track and keep us calm. They are reassuring and very knowledgeable.
- S16

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Welcome to the Family

Class of Spring 2016 !

Eight weeks after the start of the program, we asked the Spring 2016 Cohort what advice and tools were most beneficial to them. We also asked for their feedback on ways that their overall experience could have been improved. We will be implementing these suggestions in our next Welcome Brunch/RN Boot Camp and wish S16 the best of luck!

Strive for Good Grades

Practice in the NRC often

Keep a Positive Attitude

Seek Support from Mentors

Manage Time & Priorities

See an Academic Advisor

Participate in Study Groups

Make time to have FUN!

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Where in the world is

Fresno State Nursing?

As an active chapter in the California Nursing Students Association, Fresno State nursing students are encouraged to make volunteer work and participation in community events a priority. While schedules get busy and life gets in the way at times, we are proud to say that each of our six cohorts are well represented at each of these events and their level of professionalism is outstanding. These volunteer events provide an excellent opportunity for students to practice their skills in a real-world setting as well as collaborate with other students in the field. Read on to see where Fresno State has been leaving their paw prints!

Author: Noah Morales

On September 25th 2013, Fresno State Nursing students participated in the Benefits and Wellness Expo at the Satellite Union on the Fresno State Campus. Ten students participated; they spoke with over 100 individuals and provided blood pressure screenings for over 60 people!

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Where in the world is

Fresno State Nursing?

Author: Tania Navarro

September 21, 2013

The Heart Walk is an event that takes place every year at Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis. This event brings the hearts of people together to fundraise for the American Heart Association. As student nurses, our goal is to increase awareness of the risk factors that contribute to heart disease by taking blood pressures and giving people information about their results. This is a great opportunity for all semesters to get involved. New students get the opportunity to practice their skills on people of all ages and different backgrounds. The variety of people gives them the opportunity to actually listen and not just to assume that everybody will have a good blood pressure. All semesters have the opportunity to practice their communication skills, collaborate as a team to achieve our goal, and help our community by increasing awareness. I thank you everybody that participated this year by giving a little of your time to make a difference. I thank you everybody for being the future of nursing. Finally, I would like to ask everybody else when do they start being nurses. The answer is today Be a leader, represent your school, and get involved to make a difference while doing what you love.

Heart Walk Team 2013!!!

Lauren Lawler, Janine Frey, Harroop Kaur, Kaitlyn Martin, Anne Wilcox, Chris Ritter, Joy Recchio, Vathany Chea, Michelle Porte, Sheri Cooley, Stacie Saldin, Rebecca Nelson, Duran Randolph, Nao Vang, Puvan Sran, MyKim Doan, Alexis Deboer, Jacquelyn Yerian, Tania Navarro

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Where in the world is

Fresno State Nursing?

Author: Carolina Adame

September 29, 2013

With about 400 blood pressure screenings and over 500 people educated, one can say that the event at the Madera Swap Meet was a huge success! In this largely Hispanic and uninsured community, Fresno State Nursing Students not only practiced their Spanish skills and manual blood pressures in not-so-perfect conditions, they were also able to apply their classroom knowledge to real-life cases. We had 20 volunteers, representing nearly all semesters, spend their early Sunday morning taking blood pressures, educating the public on HTN and DM, and informing them of local clinics that offer a variety of services on a sliding-scale payment plan. The Madera community was really appreciative and many asked when we would be back! These events are great for networking with students outside your cohort while working together to help the community. Sad that you missed this event? Stay tuned for more volunteer opportunities this semester!

A Handy Patient Education Tool

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Where in the world is

Fresno State Nursing?

Author: Elena Pena

SAFE, or Senior Awareness & Fall Education, is a program in which multiple disciplines including Nursing and Physical Therapy work collaboratively to screen the elderly clients in our community for their risk of falling. The events include health screenings as well as education and exercise programs to reduce the risk of clients falling in the Central Valley. This year SAFE incorporated Community Health Nursing into the collaboration to ensure that elderly clients receive follow-up at home on the recommendation made at the clinic. Social Work is also involved in this project, in composing a resource book, which will be used to refer client to community agencies for additional assistance. Nursing students are involved in taking health histories, assessing orthostatic blood pressure, and performing a vision assessment on each client. Nursing students also review all client medications for polypharmacy and any medications that could increase fall risk.

Volunteer with SAFE

When:
Wed. November 20 2013 Group#1 8:00am 12:00 pm Group #2 11:00am 3:30pm 1625 E. Shaw Avenue Fresno, CA 93710 Please contact MaryAnne McCarthy to sign up! mamccarthy@csufresno.edu

Where: How:

This program is beneficial to the elderly population in our community and allows nursing students to engage with the community, use the 4 Cs, work side-by-side with other disciplines and improve preparedness for practice. As the elderly population continues to grow, so does the need to increase awareness and care for this population. Come join the fun - We hope to see you on November 20th!

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A word with Fresno State Alumni,

Phillip Bautista
This is the first of a two article series in which RN Formation catches up with Fall 2011 alumni, Phillip Bautista, as he shares his thoughts on the role of nurses and nursing students in the future of healthcare, community involvement, and his professional path after Fresno State Nursing. Be sure to catch the second half of this two part article in the next issue of RN Formation.
Editor

Author: Phillip Bautista, RN, BSN, PHN

I first want to take a moment to thank RN Formation for giving me the opportunity to remain involved postgraduation. As the 2009 - 2010 Publications and Media Director for Fresno State CNSA, I was involved in the RN Formation the year that it was awarded the best newsletter at the CNSA State Convention in 2010. On the topic of dates, October 1st was a historic date in several aspects. Many individuals are still dealing with the shock of websites, offices, and monuments closed to public access after the government shutdown due to the inability to reach a budget. What was the main reason behind the shutdown? The exact same topic that is on the mind of healthcare professionals nationwide is also the same topic that ended up in a deadlocked Congress: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. You may know it to be abbreviated as ACA, or also Obamacare. I personally believe that is important for us to recognize that we are in the eyes of the public as the future of healthcare, and we should remember to remain professional by avoiding the use of political monikers like Obamacare and refer to it as Affordable Care. Many of us have heard of it, and there are definitely mixed feelings and views about the legislation. (Continued)

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So what is the overall result of this legislation in a nutshell? At an initial increased cost, the healthcare systems and insurance companies of the United States will be offering health care to citizens in a manner that is affordable. While it is definitely true that the initial costs will be high to offer health insurance to everyone, consider these numbers for a moment. The United States spent $2.7 trillion dollars on health care in 2012. It may be hard to wrap your head around such a large number, so break it down for every one of the 313 million people in this country as of 2012. The amount of spending is $8,626,198.08 per person, per year, or $23,633.42 per person, per day. Outrageous, right? You would think that with all of these costs, we would be healthy. This is not the case. Only THREE PERCENT of that $2.7 trillion spent went towards preventive healthcare and wellness costs. The Physicians for Social Responsibility estimates that for every $1 of preventive care we provide, we can save $44. It doesnt take a math genius to figure out that we could cut some of that $2.7 trillion in costs by increasing wellness. Overall, the ACA will have many problems as we work towards finding ways to improve our health, but in the long term picture, our health care costs can decrease. As nurses, we will be a resource for questions from the community. As nursing students, we can already become involved by serving the community through screening events, educational events, and embedding in the future culture of

nursing that healthcare is not only about acute, sick care, but also about keeping our communities healthy and promoting wellness. After all, who really wants to feel anything less than wellness, happiness, and healthy? Student Success was an idea hatched from a brainstorm in 2012. Since the initial discussion of an opportunity to allow students to educate the community in a real and tangible way, we have held five events that have increased in outreach at every event. We initially were able to educate about 40 people in March of 2013, and last month increased that number to screening an estimated 400 people, most without healthcare, and educating over 550 people in a single day. The Department of Nursing is receiving funding from the College of Health and Human Services to continue these events, so please consider coming out when you can for the events. Everyone has mentioned an incredible opportunity for outreach, and highly recommends it to other students. There are faculty and RNs available, so you have a safe opportunity to educate and learn from experience, while serving the community.

By now, Im sure many of you may be interested in helping out, but want to ask the question: Does what I do as a student really affect anything in the
(continued)

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real world and in health policy? I have three simple examples for you. On November 6, 2000, President Clinton signed the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act. This act provided the framework for the safety policies we have today. Over 500,000 needlestick injuries occur annually. Nursing students (who eventually become RNs in case you were wondering) were among those that spearheaded the call for this level of protection through student association resolutions. At the 2011 CNSA Convention, future Legislative Director, Jessica Hunter, presented a resolution regarding tubing and catheter misconnections. The resolution asked for a higher level of awareness to prevent these events from happening. From your experience as a student, especially those past 1st or 2nd semester, how many times have you been absolutely confused due to a new type of equipment in a new clinical rotation? On September 25, 2011, Judith Ming died at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland, CA due to a form of these misconnection issues. During a strike, a traveling nurse was brought in to the hospital, and mistakenly gave a nutritional feeding (like the Jevity feedings you gave during first semester through a PEG tube) through an intravenous route and the patient died as a result. True story? Yes it is, you can Google the full details. Due to this resolution and awareness, hospitals are now examining the possibility of preventing these events in the future, especially important for all of you as

students or new graduate RNs. Also at the 2011 CNSA State Convention, Darrell Wong, RN, and alumni of Fresno State Nursing passed a resolution that increased awareness of Angelman syndrome, a neuro-genetic disorder that occurs in 1 in 15,000 live births. Darrells daughter Alyssa has been diagnosed with this disorder, and he wanted to raise awareness on behalf of his daughter and others affected by their diagnosis. As one of many pushing for this awareness and research, the UC Davis MIND Institute has recently received a five year nearly $3 million grant to research therapies and other similar information on four genetic disorders, including Angelman syndrome. Sometimes your personal stories can be a springboard to propel you forward into new areas of healthcare. How can you get involved to make a difference like this? All of us want to come in to nursing so that we can make an impact, and make a change on the world. Not all of us are aware of how to get to that point, but we all want to do it. In the second half of my article, I will address these questions, and share some of my personal stories on how to achieve this and find that balance between serving others and maintaining your sanity in nursing school. You are welcome to email me if you have questions or comments regarding the article, I always welcome feedback! bautista.phillip@gmail.com

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Nursing School

Stressed Much?

Author: Noah Morales

Community Health Director
On August 22nd it started again. For some, this would be the first battle but for others, the end of the war. Regardless, the casualties would be the same; as expected, our free time began to flee as an army of tests, care plans, and clinicals charged towards us from what was once the distant horizon. Soon the army was upon us; we were surrounded and all that could seemingly be done was to study harder, stay up later, and eat faster. September came, hot weather remained, and the last of our free time seemed to evaporate away. As the battle continues, we grow weaker, inflicted by the penetrating wounds of Stress. And at times, it feels as though were defenseless against this opponent. But it is not true! What we forget is that the things we give up first, when our free time becomes sparse, are the weapons that are most effective at defeating Stress:

EXERCISE! NUTRITION! SLEEP!

Exercise is arguably the fiercest and acts by releasing endorphins, improving mood, bolstering brain function, decreasing anxiety (the undeniable partner of Stress), and promoting better sleep. Sleep is no stranger to defeating Stress either. Adequate sleep supports mental performance, emotional well-being, and physical health. And lastly, maintaining good nutrition acts to support the mind and body alike, protecting us from becoming susceptible to the consequences of Stress. So as you forge onward, use your weapons well, use them often, and keep Stress in check!

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Nursing School

Stressed Much?

Exercise: The more vigorous, the better. Get that heart rate up! Just 20 minutes of vigorous exercise a day has been shown to be incredibly beneficial in so many ways. Sleep: How much? There is no magic number, but typically experts say 7-9 hours a night. Did you know that short sleep duration is linked to an increased likelihood of obesity and psychiatric problems? Also, a person who misses the prior night of sleep functions about as well as a person who has a legally intoxicated blood alcohol level! Yikes, think about that next time you go to clinical or work after pulling an allnighter Nutrition: In the words of Michael Pollan; eat food, not too much, and mostly plants. What he means is that we should eat real food (minimally processed), eat often but dont over indulge, and you can rarely go wrong with a primarily plant based diet. However, we often do go for the wrong foods (high fat, simple carbs, high sugar). Why?! Its really not all our fault; humans are biochemically programmed to crave these foods. These cravings are especially intense due to the effects of increased cortisol levels (the stress hormone) in the brain. But fight back by planning ahead and thinking about the food you eat.

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Nursing School

Stressed Much?

As Ive said before and Ill say again, journaling is shown to be an effective way of maintaining and modifying behavior; give it a try with the Weekly Health Journal (see your email). Below is the data from the first month of the health journal. Hows your cohort shaping up?

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A Quick Peek Inside

State Convention
experience t e a m l e a r n i n g

bonding

fun

s m i l e s

n e w

On October 18th, forty-five of our members attended State Convention! Here are just a few pictures from our 3-day adventure! Check out the full gallery on our Facebook page, and stay tuned for more information about State & National conventions in our next issue!

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Keep in touch with

CNSA Fresno

This October, forty-five CNSA Fresno State members attended State Conference in San Jose, CA. We were honored to receive the State award for highest chapter attendance in all of California! Do you want to get involved with this exceptional association and all of its members? Read below to find out how to stay in touch with your local CNSA chapter!

Author: Jireh Somera

A new semester always brings new opportunities to learn, care, and grow. After being elected as the new Website Director for our CNSA chapter, I knew that creating a website would be a challenge. Coming into the position I had little to no experience with HTML coding and let alone web design. However, through the help of OrgSync and the countless Google searches, I was able to launch the new website at the beginning of August. The website features tools you can utilize throughout the semester. You can navigate through the homepage to various links from upcoming events, pictures, to even the state and national websites.

Check out Our Website at:

www.fresnostate.orgsync.com/org/cnsa - Or Try scanning our handy new QR Codes to take you straight to our website and Facebook Page!

ORGSYNC

FACEBOOK

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We Want You!

To Get Involved.
Is this issue of RN Formation getting you pumped to get yourself out there and represent Fresno State Nursing?! We sure hope so & cant wait for you to join us! Check out the following upcoming opportunities:

Sun. Nov. 10

Sun. Nov. 24
7:00am 2:00pm Madera Swap Meet

Editor: Jacquelyn Yerian

I hope that you have enjoyed this issue of RN Formation! As the first issue of the semester, I look forward to your feedback on what you liked, what you want to see more of, and any way that I can improve this publication to get you the information you need and want. Feel free to use my contact information below to reach me. Questions or Comments: yerian@mail.fresnostate.edu

8:00am 1:00pm Woodward Park Sikh/Punjabi Walk

Wed. Nov. 13
10:00am 2:00pm Free Speech Area

Sun. Dec. 7
8:00am 12:00pm Bulldog Pantry

MEETINGS: 8:00am 12:00pm Mon. Nov 4 - 4:30pm 11:00am 3:00 pm Mon. Nov 18 - 4:30pm Safe Balance Clinic Mon. Dec 2 - 4:30pm Location: Music 160

Wed. Nov. 20

To sign up to help out, contact: mamccarthy@csufresno.edu

RN Formation is a publication of CNSA-CSU Fresno Dept. of Nursing 2345 E. San Ramon Ave, M/S MH. Fresno, CA 93740 Phone: (559) 278-2041 Fax: (559) 278-6360

Mission: CNSA Fresno State Chapter

Our Mission is to provide our Nursing and Pre-Nursing students with opportunities that increase awareness of professional organizations, promote education and knowledge of Nursing, and encourage involvement on local, state, and national levels. Furthermore, CNSA Fresno State seeks to optimize student exposure to the diversity existing within Nursing, and establish bidirectional communication between its members, nonmembers, advisors, faculty and the community.

Editor: Jacquelyn Yerian

Publications & Media Director CNSA - Fresno State Chapter Publications/Media Committee: Jireh Somera, Kati Chaffin, Desiree, Pimentel, Noah Morales, Jordan Burns, Tania Navarro, Elena Pena, Carolina Adame, Vanesa Vidal.